We Are Not Alone
by The-Young-Volcano O.o
Summary: Death, after being sent to Earth to study current human habits while he is disguised as one, meets a deaf, broken woman and loses himself to her.
1. Prolouge

"_Things look clear in black and white,  
the living color tends to dye our sight,  
like dynamite.  
Just imagine my surprise,  
When I looked into your eyes and saw_

_your disguise. _

_If we dare expose our hearts, Just to feel the purest parts, _

_that's when strange sensations start to grow. _

_We are not alone, find out when your cover's blown_

_There'll be somebody else there to break your fall. _

_We are not alone, 'cause when you cut down to the bone,  
We're really not so different after all…"_

**X-**

**"WE NEED YOUR ASSISTANCE, HORSEMAN."**

The Eldest and most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen stands before the three stone heads that control his very being. His hair, long, and pitch black, move with the very brief and gentle gusts of wind that pass through the court of the Charred Council. His eyes, the color the very same of the magma, dripping steadily down the maroon colored rocks, blink every sixty seconds, almost on the dot. He stares at the heads, almost with an annoyed glare, and with the angle of which he is looking, the chilling bone white mask makes it all the more intimidating. Though, in comparison to the Council, he could be an insect.

"What of this time?" Death's voice could make anyone shutter in a wave of relentless fear. Baritone, but soft, and raspy. A combination that will never work in anyone's favor.

**"We want you travel to the Earth. Each half-century, we send one of the Four to the Third Kingdom to study their habits. We will know how strong they are becoming over the years-"**

"With all due respect, I have heard this all before- Strife, Fury, even War are the ones to volunteer. Why not now?"

**"The other three are busy on their own missions. Strife and Fury are in Hell, studying a mass murder- War, in the Maker's Realm. There is no one besides you to do it."**

"Very well. Any restrictions?"

**"You are not to use your magic's. You will be in a human disguise- using them will only draw attention. All you have to do is blend in as much as physically possible."**

"And when will I leave?"

Death can feel his form shifting. As the Horseman practically shrinks, both in height and in muscle, the Council says, **"Now. But, you will use the Void walker to not draw attention to yourself upon arrival." **The transformation is complete. Death, who seconds ago was a tall, beast of a Nephilim, is now appearing to be a small human, towering a _minor _six-one, with choppy short black hair, dressed in mostly black, with piercing orange eyes. His signature mask is gone.

The Council opens a flaming blue portal, showing nothing on the inside besides black, black, and more black. With a slight hesitation, Death sighs, rolls his shoulders once, and steps into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Evelyn**

I can only hear one thing. It screams in my ears, spites me even. It always hurts- mentally, anyway. The noise blocks everything else that I could potentially listen to. What is it?

Silence.

Sitting in a coffee shop with the ones I love, that's all I can hear. I notice the clinking of class mugs together, intentional or non. I notice as Ashah, Terri, Rose, Luna, Raye, and Ann- the six people I trust most- move their mouths as they communicate, which usually leads to them bobbing their heads back with their eyes closed. They tell me it's laughter. I don't laugh. I can't hear anything or even see anything that could make me laugh.

They try to explain the concept of music. How it has a beat. How it has notes. I, of course, know that some kind of sound comes out when a person hits a stick on a drum, or runs their hands over the strings of a guitar. I just can't hear it. My sisters- the ones I call sisters, though lacking a biological relationship- sometimes get carried away, explaining through hand signs how beautiful music is, how _important _music is.

I sometimes feel like music can help them more than I can.

With my arms crossed, I sit in the middle of the six, twenty five year old women- three on each side of me. Rose, Terri, and Ann on my left, Raye, Luna, and finally Ashah on my far right. I quietly stir my coffee. While I take a drink, one of them taps on my shoulder. Rose, who just got my attention, has shocking blue hair and simple black, somewhat nerd-like glasses. She's wearing heavy black eyeliner and mascara, which matches the color of her shirt. There is a white band logo on it. Another thing that has reminded me of the music I long to hear. Rose starts moving her hands, giving me a silent message that says,

_You need to talk more! You never say anything. _

I roll my eyes. _How am I supposed to be apart of a conversation if I can't hear anything? _

Rose looks at the ground. _Sorry. But we all like to know what you have to say. _

I don't reply and start to look around the room. Throughout the entire restaurant, there is only one table with less than two people sitting at it. There's a man by himself, looking around and scribbling down sloppy words with a black pen into a leather bound notebook. He has short black hair that goes down to his extremely thin jawline, with a very slight fringe to the left. Inhuman, piercing orange eyes meet mine. I look away, but after several long moments, I can still feel them burning into my skin. When I look back at him, he looks away.

Slightly annoyed, I return to my coffee.

What I hadn't realized at first is that all six of them are staring at me with smug smiles. Using my hands quickly, I ask, _What? _They all share a word through verbal speech.

Ashah, with her blue painted nails and gloved hands, translates for her with her hands in front of the band logo on her chest. _Why were you staring at the creepy guy with the contacts?_

_I wasn't! _I reply with an angry look on my face. _Everyone makes strange eye contact with people. It is mutual. _Terri stands up, and I know that this will not end up well. She grabs my arm, pulling me from my seat and walking me towards the table. _What are you doing? Let go!_ Ifrantically throw hand signs at her that aren't relevant, for Terri is not looking.

I am forced into the seat next to the man. Giving Terri a look that says, "I'm going to kill you later," I give a shy smile to the man. He says something I cannot understand. _Sorry, _I sign, pointing to an ear. The man nods slowly and replies with his hands.

_I said hello. _

_Sorry. My friends are being weird. I'll go if you want me too. _

Looking away so I can't see a reply, I stand up and return to my table. As soon as I do, I hit Terri with the red sleeves of my sweater. Taking a quick glance back at the stranger, I watch as he sets his pen down and chuckles with his arms crossed. Breaking eye contact, I plop back down in my chair, downing the last of my coffee. Ann smiles and pays the waitress, and as soon as humanly possible, I throw on my coat and follow the rest out of the shop. I don't get embarrassed all that much, since I don't interact with humans. _Now _I understand why that only _completely_ sucks.

Following the rest out into the crowded streets of New York, we start in the direction of our apartment building. The six of them walk in front of me, leaving me alone with my hands in my pockets, my black hood hiding my face and my head tilted down. I stare at them. The backs of their heads, which are very vibrant- Ashah with bright pink. Terri with lime green. Luna with turquoise. Raye and Ann with two different shades of a subtle red. Then there is me, Evelyn, who has magma orange. I find it oddly coincidental, for the man had orange eyes. Contacts or not, that's not something you see on a daily basis.

I lift my head up high for a split second, and see the man again. He is walking towards me, but doesn't acknowledge me. His shoulder bumps mine, and I see something. I don't know what it is, but my vision of the real world cuts out. I see a towering figure, standing at a good seven feet, with long, shoulder length black hair, a soul-tearing white mask covering its face, and the magma colored eyes.

The vision only lasts for the few moments that the man and I make physical contact. I gasp, looking back at the man, who hasn't noticed anything. Not paying attention made me bump into more people on my way. I yelp- the first noise I've made in months- and continuously sign the word _sorry. _

I don't see the others anymore. Not even bothering to panic and try to find them, I quietly walk back to out apartment. It is a half hour walk. I love to travel the city by foot, watching the vibrant yellow taxis pass me by, scanning the bright signs as they advertise upcoming movies and television shows. I love the colors. If I could hear the sounds, though...

I cross the road, walking into the apartment building on the other side. No one acknowledges me as I walk into an elevator, alone, and press the button '8'. As soon as it starts to move, I grip my hands onto the railing.

I've always hated elevators.

When the box stops moving, and the doors fly open, I immediately walk out, approaching my doorstep. Putting the key into the bronze-painted doorknob, the only thing I carry around with me, I open the door and step through. Ashah, Rose, and Luna are sitting on the blood red couch. Ann, Raye, and Terri are facing them, but relaxing on the turquoise blue rug. Rose smiles at me, signing, _I'm sorry. We didn't know where you were. We knew you'd come home soon, though. _

I read Ashah's lips- they call Rose's name, pulling her away from me, along with the rest of them. Frustration gets the best of me. I smile, walk out of the room, and into my own. The one I share with Terri and Luna. Sitting down on my bed, I grab one of my journals. The rest of my perfectly non-tone deaf friends are working for their degree in music. I am working for one in Science Fiction writing. I love it more than anything.

I find myself ripping the wide-ruled bits of paper to shreds.

I do this often. It's a good way to relieve the tension that builds up, as opposed to harming myself- which, I have _never _considered. Not after breaking down in tears when I saw Terri or Ashah's palms and wrists when we were teenagers. I love them more than I love myself. I'd die for them... but sometimes I just feel like they wouldn't do the same. It doesn't matter to me. As long as they're safe. As long as they're _happy. _

Two minutes later, the one piece of paper is ripped into thousands of miniscule pieces. Feeling much better than before, I pick the paper up and throw it into a garbage can full of them. I sit down and write for a while, with fresh ideas about a man who can switch from a human to a killer, with one thing in common- the beautiful orange eyes. I can't get the image out of my head. It's haunting.

When I am done with a chapter, the sun is going down. I walk out of my room with a blue journal- unlike the others which are all black. The others are all playing Co-op in _Tomb Raider,_ in which the deaf girl has _always _slayed them in. Rose dies and hands the controller to Luna, turning to face me. She signs, _Hey. Do you want to play a round? _

_No, that's okay. _I smile. _I'm going to go for a walk. Need some inspiration for my stories. _

_Come back soon, okay? and don't go out in front of any cars._

_I won't. _Smirking when Luna dies, I finish, _I promise. _

_Evelyn._

_I swear. I won't- I'm walking to my spot. _

Rose nods, turning back to the game.

I double check that my key is in my pocket, throw on my black trench coat, put the hood up, and walk out. I take the stairs down to the lobby, where Brendon, the secretary, waves to me. I wave back, unable to talk to him without any of the others with me- he doesn't know sign language- and walk out the front door. The crisp New York air blows my orange hair across my face. I look to my left and start walking on the sidewalk. I take another left into an alley- the space between my apartment building and a video game store. There's a ladder at the very back. Putting the pen between my teeth and the journal under my arm, I start to climb. Brendon has given me permission to sit up on the roof, for the view of the city at sunset and night is amazing.

When I reach the top, I stand for a mere moment, just to admire the beauty of the sun dipping under the tall buildings. I may be deaf, but at least I can see things like this. I'm grateful for that everyday.

I lean down and grab the plastic chair that I hide in the crevice between the two buildings, along with a large puffy black blanket. Taking my trench coat off in the brisk November air, I set it down next to me and quickly wrap myself in the blanket. I sit down and grab my journal, then finally my pen. None of the others have been up here, nor do they know that I've been copying down the song lyrics I see on the lyric videos that they play on the television. So far, I have quite a lot. The page I flip to has the words written on it,

_"I hate to see you fall down, I'll pick you up off the ground, I've watched the weight of your world come down and now it's your chance to move on, change the way you've lived for so long, find the strength you've had inside all along."_

_"I bleed for you, forever I will lie awake, I would die for you. I see the truth, I've given you my heart to break, I would die for you."_

_"I remember when we used to laugh about nothing at all, it was better than going mad, from trying to solve all the problems we're going through, forget them all, because on those nights, we would stand and never fall. Together we faced it all."_

_"Strychnine, cerebellum feeds the brain. Hurricane in a violent rage, they say, she's a looker just like Anna Nicole, oh no, fuck the silver, let's go straight for the gold."_

I only wrote down that last one because it made me smile. opening to my last blank page, I write down one that I memorized this morning before going out for coffee, _"I choose defeat, I walk away, and leave this place the same today. Some like to sleep, we like to play, just look at all that pain."_

It gives me a sense of comfort to know what they're listening to, and that it helps them. I can see why- the lyrics are very inspiring. But, I bet, the music itself helps them too. Ashah is always telling me about a bass guitar, how the notes are so incredibly low that it's beautiful. She _loves _bass so much, she even learned to play it.

There is _nothing _I want more than to be able to hear them. Their voices. What they sound like, and the _music _they're capable of making.

I start to write in my story until the sun goes down, and I can't see the pages anymore. That's when study the buildings. The different lights coming out of them, and the people still sitting at their desks with their eyes glued to their computer screens. I study the taxis running around below me, and all the people walking on the streets. Men with women.

_If only__, _I sign to myself. _If only I could have a man. Of course, no one would want a girl who can't hear a damn thing he would say. _

Suddenly, from across the road, I notice that _man _standing there once more, with the piercing orange eyes, staring right back into mine.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm sorry if this sucks. I kinda vented with this chapter, and some of the pieces might not fit together. I'm not sure. Let me know what you think, and hate if it makes you happy. (Sorry guys... I'm bloody tired. XD)**

**Evelyn**

In frustration, I stand up and put my trench coat back on. Hiding my journal under the blanket, I climb back down the ladder. The man is still standing there. I clench my fists and, despite what Rose told me not to do, I cross the street, though paying close attention to the cars. I approach the man, signing angrily,

_"Are you following me?"_

He smiles. "_No."_

_"Then why do I keep running into you? New York has too many people in it to run into a person you don't know more than twice."_

_"I guess it is luck." _

I stare at his hands as he moves them. Sighing, I walk back to the alley. Just as I am about to start climbing, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Rapid air escapes my throat that I'm guessing is a scream. I throw hand signs at him, telling him to let me go. He does.

_"Sorry." _He signs, putting his hands up and talking a step back. "_I just wanted to know your name."_

Hesitantly, I try to sound out my name aloud, completely oblivious if I did it right. He repeats it aloud, and I read his lips. I think he said it correctly, so I nod.

_"Hello." _He says.

_"Hello." _I sign back and start climbing the ladder. Deciding that I should just go back inside, I fold up the plastic chair and the blanket, put it back where I had it, and pick my journal up. When I turn around, that _guy _is standing there. Instead of giving him a civil reply, I put my middle finger to the air. He chuckles as I storm past him. I run into my apartment building. Waving to Brendon, I open the door to the stairs and start climbing. It takes fifteen minutes to walk up eight floors, but it's worth it. I approach the door to my apartment. The door is unlocked, so I walk in. No one is here; it is silent, and all the lights are out. I turn one on, and walk into my room. Luna and Terri are fast asleep. I shake my head and shut the door quietly, walking to the kitchen.

The time is 12:19AM. Famished, I open the fridge and pull out a leftover salad from the night before, along with a fork, and sit down. As I stab the lettuce and put it in my mouth, I stare at the television that they all left on that is playing one of my favorite Science Fiction TV shows. I smile, reading the subtitles. When I am finished with my late dinner, I put the dishes into the sink and wash each and every one of them by hand, despite the fact we have a dishwasher. I do this all the time- it helps me clear my head. Though, the six sleeping in the other rooms tell me not to constantly, since they can hear all the loud noises I am making and I can't. I do it anyway.

As soon as the task is finished, I turn the living room light on and start to clean that as well, throwing away the empty pizza boxes and bottles of wine. They constantly make good memories without me. I'm always on the roof, lost in my own thoughts, but really I always have a good view.

When I am done, I'm about ready to collapse. I shut the television off, along with all the lights, and collapse on the red couch, not bothering to go into my room, wake Terri and Luna so I can change, and sleep in my own bed. I just rest my head on a black pillow, and sink under the waves of consciousness.

Xxxxxxxx

Someone shakes me awake. I open my eyes to see Ashah standing over me. She signs, "W_hat are doing?"_

I rub my eyes and reply, "_I just fell asleep. Sorry." _

_"It's fine." _She rolls her eyes, sitting down next to me with a bowl of cereal. Setting it between her legs, she continues, "_You hardly ever sleep in your bed because you're never here. You never talk; you're always on the roof."_

_"I just need inspiration."_

Ashah looks at her hands. "_You're never there for us anymore."_

_"I can't be." _All of the things I've been wanting to say start pouring out. "_I can't be there for you because you're never there for me! You hardly acknowledge me!"_

She takes the bowl and stands up, not bothering to reply. I stand up, start signing in frustration, but she has her back to me. I try and use my voice. She cringes, slamming her bowl down and saying, "_You're going to wake the others!"_

_"The others. Right." _I turn away. "_Got it." _

I throw my coat on and open the door. Ashah grabs my wrist before I leave. "_Sorry. I'm just frustrated. You used to make us laugh all the time. I miss the old days."_

I smirk sarcastically, "_The old days when I was acknowledged." _I walk out the door. I don't care where I go, as long as I get away for a while. Just to boost my frustration even more, guess who is waiting outside the main door for me?

_"Hello," _He signs with a warming smile.

_"What do you bloody want from me, asshole? Money? Or are you just stalking me?" _

The man laughs. "_No. I like you."_

I raise an eyebrow. "_Like me? You're really straightforward. You're not from around here, are you?"_

_"No." _

_"What's your name?" _

He sounds it out aloud. "Des-mond."

I nod, trying to repeat it myself. When I do it correctly, he smiles. "_Alright. Where are you from?"_

_"Far away, a place not many have ever been." _

I clasp my hand on his shoulder. "_I'll show you around, asshole." _

He grins again, and I can't help but acknowledge it. He has a bloody nice smile.

Xxxxxxxx

_"How could they possibly ignore you?"_ Desmond asks as he stirs random sugars and creams into his third non-caffeinated coffee, for we have been sitting here for hours.

I raise my eyebrow at him. "_Do you know what you're doing?"_

He meets my eyes, "_No. Not at all." _

_"You're an idiot." _I grin, letting my hair fall over my face. I stare into his lively orange eyes for a long while. I wonder if contacts bring that color, but looking closer, I don't see any signs of it. Without breaking the gaze, I study his body language. How he moves, how often he takes a drink of his coffee, among other things. Slowly, Desmond asks, "_What is it like to not be able to hear?"_

_"Why?" _I ask, not expecting him to ask such a straightforward question.

_"I am curious." _

A bit confused, I sign, "_It is not the best. The only people I can trust attend a college for music, and I will never be able to hear them."_

_"What do you do?"_

_"Write." _

_"About what?"_

_"Things." _

He makes a motion with his mouth and head, as if laughing. "_What kind of things?" _

_"Science Fiction."_

Desmond nods. _"Interesting."_

_"Now, how do just walk into my life, knowing perfectly how to sign? Who are you?" _

_"I can be whoever." _

_"Right. But really, who are you? Do you have any identification?"_

_"Of course." _He writes something down in the notebook that I am just now realizing he has, rips the paper, and hands it to me. There is the sloppy word,"Identification."

My voice starts to move up and down. I can't hear what it is doing, but it feels good. Different. He smiles, and then laughs. _"What?" _I ask.

_"I like your voice. It is sweet." _

I grin lopsidedly. _"Thanks. What about yours, is it sweet like mine?" _I giggle. The sensation, of my chest rumbling, feels good. It's nice, as if letting go of a bad memory.

_"It might be a good thing that you cannot hear my voice." _

_"Why do you say that?" _

_"Some label it a bit frightening."_

_"Oh, I don't believe that." _He smiles. _"Do you always act this bloody happy?" _

_"I can't say I do."_

_"How?" _

He absently runs his hand over the back of his neck, but doesn't reply. I watch him as he does, not being able to _not _notice his massive muscles as they shift underneath the black fabric of his sweatshirt. I can't help but study the features of his symmetrical, unscathed face. When Desmond notices my study, he asks, _"What?"_

Panicking slightly, I quickly reply, _"Nothing."_

_"What are you staring at?" _

_"Nothing." _

_"So I am nothing?" _

Not able to think of a sensible reply, I bring my fist to my temple, silently telling him that he's an asshole. He laughs. His smile forces a smile to my lips. The waitress walks over, and Desmond calmly hands her a card, shooing her away. He turns his attention back to me.

_"What else is bad about it? Being deaf." _

_"You're a curious son of a bitch."_

_"Indeed I am." _

_"The fact that I can't be a part of conversations because no one will translate for me," _I nod to myself in agreement. _"I'm only capable of writing among musicians. That I am always considered lower because of my disability and that people who meet me don't even try to talk to me because I can't hear them. How children who meet me go home, and tell their parents that they met a deaf girl today. There are more, but I believe I labeled the few key facts." _

_"I am sorry."_

_"It's fine. At least I can see. The colors of this city keep me sane," _I smile in reassurance. He returns it, and we don't talk for a while. Only when the waitress comes back with Desmond's credit card. He stands up.

_"Let us go. We have much to see."_

Xxxxxxxx

**Death**

I feel like I am wasting my time, hanging around this deaf woman, and for what? I suppose, I can trick her to show me around for more information, but I should've picked up one that could actually _hear. _

She explains multiple places that we pass by on the streets through her hands. Only looking at her hands, I write down almost word for word what she says. Because she doesn't bother to look over to me, I have no problem jotting it down.

An hour passes, and the time is 11:00AM. We pass a street with large orange banners with people standing behind them, holding up hand-written signs in front of a camera. They are screaming and waving.

Evelyn taps on my shoulder. I look at her hands. _"Have you never seen the Today show?" _

_"No." _

_"You must live far away, then." _She explains that it is a news show that people of New York come and watch live. I write this down.

Apartment and the outside world. That's when it hits me. _Evelyn. _

I stand up as she walks through the door. He back is facing me, and she is signing to someone. Taking a closer look I realize it's the guy from the coffee shop, the one with the orange contacts. Evelyn giggles again, and signs, _"I'll see you later, asshole."_ She turns her full attention to me, shutting the door. I pull her into my arms.

"What the hell. Where were you…?" For that one moment, I forgot that she can't hear me. I let her go and ask, word for word what I said aloud seconds before, but through my hands. _"I needed fresh air."_

_"Who were you with?" _

She holds up a finger, silently telling me to wait a moment. She walks over to the coffee table and picks up her journal, equipped with a pen filled with orange ink. She flips to a random page and scribbles something down. When she hands it back to me, I read,

"Desmond and I have been walking around all day. He's not from around here; I thought I could show him around. He wants to know more about the city, so I told him I'd check in with you all for a few hours and then meet him at his-"

That's where the writing is so sloppy I can't read it.

Grateful she is same, I sign, _"Well, we only have a few hours then. We'll do something as a group."_

xxxxxxxx

Watching Evelyn's concentrating face is _hilarious. _As she and Ashah play Co-op in _Assassin's Creed_, using both of our Xbox's to do it, the rest of watch and laugh. Sooner or later Ash's character takes an axe to the skull by Eve's hand.

"Dammit!" Ashah yells, and Eve laughs at her look of distress. _Laughs. _She _never _laughs! That Desmond kid is a miracle worker.

Luna takes the controller for Ash. Laughing, I grab my phone and start recording. She _always _gives off the best reactions. On Evelyn's screen, her character blends in perfectly with a group of people. Luna runs around aimlessly, and when she is close enough to Eve's character, she is killed.

Luna sets her controller violently to the side and collapses on the turquoise rug. _"DAMMIT, YOU HAVE TO BE SILENT AND DEADLY!" _She screams at the top of her lungs. Eve has already collapsed laughing, though unable to hear the funniest part. Ann buries her face in my shoulder, and the same with Raye and Ashah.

Evelyn turns to face the camera with a guilt filled smile. I shut the recording off. She asks, _"What time is it?"_

Still laughing, I glance down to my blue wristwatch and hold up six fingers.

Eve jumps us and throws her trench coat on. _"I have to go."_

We all watch in now silence as she rushes out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

**Death**

Evelyn is starting to trust me. I have invited her to my room to gain more information. If I gain her trust fully, then the less I'll have to work. As I am reading through the notes, fixing the grammatical errors I made when writing so quickly, I hear a knock at the door. I set the book down and open it, to find Evelyn standing there with a journal in her hand and a bright smile on her face.

"You're late." I sign playfully. She punches my arm and laughs, walking past me and into the room.

"Shut up." She replies, sitting down in a chair next to a window. "What do you want to know?"

"Anything and everything."

She ponders for a moment. I sit down and open the notebook. She watches me and asks, "What are you doing?"

Thinking of something off the top of my head, I sign, "I have friends where I come from who like to know of my travels."

Evelyn nods her head. She then says, "If you want to know about here, ask me. I've lived here my entire life."

U smile as she starts to explain things I've never heard of. She does so in such detail, too, it surprises me- and the best part is that it is all with her hands. Her small, petite hands. I watch them as they move so quickly, though I understand every word.

At some moments, I will unintentionally shift my gaze to her bone thin waist, or slightly above that. She, of course, is oblivious to this. I'm glad, because I cannot help it. I may be a Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the most feared at that, but I am a man.

After an hour or so goes by, I am becoming eager to ask about her and not what I was sent here to do. Keep in mind, this rarely happens. When I am assigned a task, my immediate intention is to finish it. My conscious tells me it's wrong, and I should let her continue. Ultimately I decide against it, telling myself that I'll let her explain herself for a few minutes or so.

I lean forward slightly. This catches her off guard, despite the fact that we are on complete opposite sides of the room from each other. Evelyn puts her hands in her lap, waiting for something from me, a reply.

Ridding my mind of suggestive thoughts, I sign, "Now tell me of you."

She raises her left eyebrow to show her confusion. "Why?"

"I'm a curious son of a bitch."

She laughs awkwardly, agreeing with, "Fine. When I was born, my parents found out I was deaf and disowned me. They raised me for a musical purpose- that's what I was told, at least. I grew up in an orphanage with nice people and nice siblings. When I reached middle school, I was bullied, and that's when I met the girls I am roommates with now. We braved the seven years together, and as soon as possible, we all enrolled in New York University. They all are in the Music Department, and I'm in the Writing Department."

I nod, faking a solemn mood and signing, "You deserve better."

She smiles awkwardly and tilts her head down, running her hands over the cover of her journal. When I stand up, she flinches. Putting my hands in front of me, telling her to calm down, I walk towards her. When I'm close enough, I snatch the journal out of her hands and sit down. When I look at her again, she has an annoyed glare on her face, but doesn't protest. I chuckle, looking back down at it. The front cover is completely black with light blue lace forming a corset through the cardboard. On the other side, drawn perfectly symmetrical, is a blue police box that takes up the entire page. I look up at Evelyn, confusion etched across my face.

Her face flushes red as she signs, "Doctor Who. It's a science fiction television show about an alien named the Doctor who travels through time and space in a Police Box."

"The Doctor. Yes, I've met him. A strange man."

Her face lights up profoundly, almost to the point where I have to squint. "Are you serious? He is real?"

Laughing, I shake my head. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Evelyn sighs in disappointment, snapping her fingers. "You had me going for a second, asshole."

Still smiling, I open the front of the journal and start to read. The way she writes it, in the same way in which she signs, I enjoy. I can feel her eyes staring at me anxiously. I finish the page and look up at her. "It's very good."

"Thanks." She signs absently. "One of my kinder reviews."

"What?"

"The people in my class can't stand my stories, and my roommates refuse to read them."

I nod, setting the journal next to me and signing, "I'll be borrowing this, then."

Evelyn laughs, tilting her head down. "I need it back by tomorrow. I have school."

Nodding in agreement, I mutter aloud, "I'll be seeing you again, then."

She tilts her head in confusion, but I dismiss it.

We sit there for a while without communicating. I look to the small clock which says it is 1:00AM. Evelyn's eyes are closed. To check if she is awake, I make a few sudden and unnecessary movements. She's out cold. Sighing in mental conflict, I decide to let her sleep, since I am tired myself. I set the two books on the nightstand, lie down, and shut the light off.

I can feel her presence on the other side of the small room.

xxxxxxxx

**Evelyn**

I lazily crack my eyes open. I'm staring at a light tan colored ceiling. Confusion and fear washes over me, for the ceilings in my apartment are white. I shoot to my feet. Desmond is sleeping in his bed. I had fallen asleep in the chair. Feeling somewhat like an intruder, I silently put my coat on without breaking my gaze from him. I just met him two days ago. There is a possibility that he is not who he says he is! A large one, at that. So, as quickly as humanly possible, I walk out the door and into the lobby of the hotel. It's a nice building, for sure, but it holds bad memories. I would always get a room here after an argument with the others.

Sighing, walk out the door and, after the moving cars stop, I cross the road with a crowd of strangers. They all go off in their own directions, and I straight forward into my apartment building. I take the elevator up to the eighth floor with a few kids that live in the building. I smile at them as the elevator doors open, and I step out. They close behind me, and when I open my door, I am greeted with an avalanche of six people. They all hug me, and the weight makes me collapse on the floor.

Rose stands up and signs, "Where have you been? Why didn't you come home?"

I roll my eyes in frustration. "I just fell asleep. Everything is fine."

"You can't just keep disappearing."  
"I was just across the street. No harm done."

Rose buries her face in her hands and walks to her room. Ashah follows and the rest leave me in the living room. I sigh and collapse on the red couch. This happens consistently. I will fall asleep on the roof or something, and they'll ignore me for the rest of the day. Dammit, dammit, dammit! I think, punching the pillows. I end up causing them so much mental pain, that it's as if my existence means nothing.

I look to the door when I see the doorknob is twisting frantically. I stand up and open it, to see a tired Desmond standing there.

He signs, "I didn't know if you made it home safe."

"In a way, I did."

He raises an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"They are angry with me for not coming home." I sigh. "I'll talk to you later. I have to make this right."

Desmond nods, smiles, and walks out the doorway. I close it and set my forehead in my palm. Deciding on that I'm going to say to them, I take a deep breath and push myself away from the doorway and into my room, where Luna and Terri are talking. They look over to me upon entering.

"I'm sorry." I won't make eye contact- I'm only staring down at my hands. "Falling asleep there was not my intention. We were just talking, and lost track of time."

"What were you talking about?" Terri asks, leaning forward slightly.

I take a moment to reminisce, and say, "New York, Doctor Who, and myself."

Luna gives me a blank stare. "Don't trust him."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He could be a rapist or something."

I roll my eyes. "You're an idiot. Look. I'm perfectly fine. Nothing besides words were exchanged."

"Has he said anything that is creepy?"

I shake my head.

"Where did you sleep?"

"In a chair on the other side of the room from him."

Both of them nod uneasily. Terri stands up and walks over to me, hugging me tightly. Luna signs from behind her, "You scared us."

I nod solemnly. "Tell the others what I just told you. I'm going to the roof."

Luna shakes her head in disagreement. "Please don't."

"I have things to think about."

"At least eat something first."

I agree, letting Terri go and heading to the kitchen. Ashah is standing at the sink. I am silent as I open the fridge and pull out two slices of cold pizza and a bottle of water.

I sit down on the couch and begin eating, absently staring out the window at Desmond's hotel. He's a nice guy, really. It is easy to talk to him when no one else will listen.

I eat the rest of my food. Dusting off my hands, I drink the last of the water and walk out the door, drowning in my thoughts.

xxxxxxxx

**Death**

If I look close enough, I can see Evelyn in her apartment. She's having some sort of meal. I watch as she stands up and disappears through the door I stood at roughly a half hour ago. Minutes later she's at the bottom, on the streets. For a moment, I think she is coming here, but then she turns left and down an alleyway. Evelyn climbs a ladder and sits in a chair on the top of her apartment building, staring into the morning sky.

I sigh. Having a conversation with her is like having a conversation with yourself. No judgmental stares are words. No awkward moments, despite there is always a silence. Everything in mutual, and I like that.

A small part of me wishes she could hear. Of course, being a Horseman, I could hive her hearing with a snap of my fingers. The Council had clearly stated not to use my magic's, so I would not draw attention to myself. Still, this does not seem like reason enough. I take a deep breath. I won't do it.

Not yet.


	5. Chapter 5

(One Month Later)  
**Evelyn**

Desmond and I see each other at least once a day. He'll sometimes wait for me outside of my apartment until I get home from school The others don't trust him, of course- mostly because they don't believe me when I say that Desmond and I are not in a romantic relationship. But we're not. I kind of see him as an older brother as opposed to anything else. We talked about it once. He told me that he didn't see me in that light whatsoever. That conversation kind of cleared the air for us to become closer as friends.

One thing has been bothering me, though. Desmond sometimes jokes about giving me hearing. What the hell? That's not something you say to a deaf girl. He'll drop hints about it sometimes, then kind of considers it in a way, as if it were actually possible. He's just human. He can't just do that.

My professor, who individually teaches me in a separate room in my college, hands me a few slips of paper as my assignment and signs, _"You can go. Make sure you have this done by the time you come in tomorrow."_

I nod, gathering my journals and exiting the room. Stepping into the brisk December air, I see taxis are lined up on the streets. I clutch my journals to my chest and walk toward one of them with a '098' painted on the side. The driver rolls down the window, and I hand him a slip of paper that tells him I am deaf, and it says my apartment name and address on it. He nods, and I climb into the backseat. The car starts to move.

I absently stare out the window. It's cold out, and the weather is grey. When we cross a bridge, my heart jumps. I've always hated bridges, mostly because I fear that I'll drown if it goes into the river.

How ironic.

The driver suddenly starts to speed up. My head cracks against the seat. Confused, I lean forward. The driver is obviously panicking. He looks back to me with fear in his eyes. He takes his hands off the wheel and his foot off the pedal. The car is controlling itself. My heart drops into my effects prolong when the car, against the driver's will, takes a sharp right. Water erupts in a massive splash around us. There isn't water in the car yet, but that will change quickly. Taking action, I open the plastic screen separating me from the driver. My heart drops once more when I see blood is trickling down his face. I grab his wrist.

No pulse.

The driver is dead.

_I guess I'm on my own with this one. _

It's a good thing I love science, because I know _exactly _what to do in this situation.

I take a few deep breaths, shuffling off my coat. The freezing ice water is up to my knees. I'm shivering like mad in only a thin long sleeved shirt and skinny jeans. I press my back firmly to the back of the seat and set my two fingers across the button that opens the window.

If I don't do it now, I'll freeze to death.

With my eyes closed, I push the button, and the taxi floods with ice water. _I have to stay calm. _I think. My mind wanders off with thoughts of the others. My home. Desmond.

I open my eyes. Slowly, I open the door of the cab, which is now filled to the top with water. The pressure evened out when all of the oxygen floated back to the top, therefore allowing me to open the door as if nothing happened.

In a panic, I swim to the top. When I break through the surface, razor sharp gusts of wind etch themselves into my face. I can feel my heart slowing, and if I don't move quicker, I'll die in this frozen, slow moving river.

I start toward the shore, where there are at the least a couple dozen bystanders, watching me. There is an ambulance waiting there. But with every stroke, I feel as if the shore is getting farther away. I watch with half closed eyes as someone shoves the people out of the way. The man jumps into the water with no hesitation and starts towards me.

As a warm hand touches mine, I black out.

Xxxxxxxx

**Death **

Evelyn is a split second away from going under the ice water when I grab her hand. I pull her into my arms and swim to the shore. Upon walking up to the paramedics, I fall to my knees. My body temperature is now dropping dramatically. "Sir!" A paramedic yells, grabbing my arm and shuffling Evelyn and I into the ambulance. I sit to the side, and they hand me a small heated blanket. As I wrap it around my form, one of the men yells, "Her heart has shut down."

I stand up and look Evelyn over. Her face is drained of all color. I grip her wrist as they try getting her heart pumping with a Defibrillator. Suddenly, a weak pulse beats against my thumb. "We've got her," Another says. I sigh in relief. "Sir, try rubbing her arms to get the circulation going."

I nod and do so. Eventually I take the blanket and wrap it around her, for I feel line, just damp. The color in her face starts to return, and she is breathing rhythmically. The ambulance comes to a stop, and the doors swing open. I get out of the way as they take Evelyn towards the hospital.

I follow behind, absently lost in my thoughts. They take her into a room I do not have access to. "Hello," The secretary to my left smiles. "Are you with her?"

"Yes?"

"Her name?"

"Evelyn Stephens."

"And what happened?"

"Her vehicle went into the river."

"Alright," She types a few things into the computer at her desk. "What is your relevance to her?"

"A close friend."

"Your name?"

"Desmond Smith."

"Is there anyone else who needs to be contacted?"

The first name that comes to mind is, "Rose Pines. I am not sure of her cell phone number."

She types some more, shows me a picture. I confirm that is the right person, and she dials it into the phone. "Hello? Yes. Rose Pines?"

"Who is this?" I hear her voice quietly on the other side of the phone.

"Miller Hospital. Evelyn Stephens has been in an accident."

I hear a quiet gasp. "I'll be there in a minute." And then she is gone.

"Sir?" A male nurse walks up to me. I spin around to look at him. "Evelyn is awake and wants to see you. She won't talk to anyone."

"She's deaf."

"…Oh! Well. That explains it."

I walk next to him. Halfway down the bleach white hallway, He turns left and opens a wooden door. Evelyn is lying under white blankets in thin white clothing. When she sees me, she tries to sit up. The nurse's hold her down. I rush to her side and try to calm her down. She stops struggling and closes her eyes.

"Desmond?"

I turn to see Rose standing there alone. Evelyn starts to panic again, and Rose kneels down next to me. "Where are the others?" I ask.

"I told them to stay back. I didn't want Eve to get overwhelmed after the accident." A black tear falls down her face. "What happened…?"

"Her car went into the river. She almost didn't make it back."

"How…" Then she realizes. "You went in after her."

Evelyn grips my hand a little tighter. I meet her cobalt blue eyes. She uses her free hand to point to mine. I realize my nails are digging into her wrist. I retract it and mumble apologies she can't hear. "Okay." Rose sighs. "When I ask you this, tell me the complete, one-hundred percent truth."

"Shoot."

"Are you and Evelyn…?" She clasps her hands together.

"No." I look down at the small, pale woman in the hospital bed.

Using one hand, Evelyn spells out, _"What?" _

I sigh, _"Nothing of major importance. Give me a moment." _

"Nothing?" Rose raises an eyebrow.

"We are good friends. I do not see her in that way."

Rose nods uneasily and stands up when her phone rings. "It's Ash. I have to take this." She starts the door. "Oh, and Desmond?"

"Hmm?" I mutter, signing comforting words to Evelyn.

Rose chuckles. "A part of me wished she could hear your voice."

"And _why _is that?"

As she turns and walks out the door, she mutters, "It's _really _sexy."

I laugh to myself awkwardly. I don't understand. Whenever I've been sent to Earth, at least one woman- and sometimes men- have complimented me on my voice. I'll never know why. I start signing to Evelyn once more. _"I can tell you of my travels, if you want. They're almost over actually. I have been to every continent, country, except for the United States, all over fourteen years." _

I start to tell her about the African Tribes I met, the beginning of my travels. I had just finished explaining Italy when she asks, her hands shaking, _"Am I just another random person, then?" _

Immediately I shake my head. What she doesn't know is that I was supposed to continue on a week ago. In a way disobeying the Council's orders, I've decided to stay until my mental conflict is resolved- whether to give her hearing or not. _"You aren't. I assure you." _

She gives me a lopsided smile, breaking eye contact.

A doctor with dark brown hair and square glasses walks in. Carrying a heavy British accent, he says, "Hello. Who are you?"

"Desmond Smith."

"Do you know sign language?"

"Yes."

"Great." He looks down to his clipboard. "Can you do me a favor and tell her she is free to go as soon as we give her a supplement to help her blood flow? The shock she just overtook could make it act up unusually." I nod, telling all of this to Evelyn. She nods in agreement. "Okay. I'll be right back then."

When he returns, there is a small vile in his hand filled with light colored liquid. "Alright, this will only take a moment."

I move out of the way. Evelyn doesn't react when the needle enters her bloodstream. When it is taken out, though, her eyes widen and she starts screaming. "What, what's going on?" I ask.

"I… I don't…" The doctor can't finish his sentence. Evelyn reaches over and her nails dig into my wrist. She takes short, rapid breaths, as her face starts to turn red and sweat trickles down her face. I take the syringe out of the confused doctor's hand, push the liquid up, and run it across my tongue.

Cyanide.

Without any form of hesitation, I press my hands to her swelling arm and start to chant under my breath. My hands start to unintentionally shake as the poison bubbles up onto the surface of her skin. The cyanide drips onto the floor. Evelyn is knocked unconscious. I sigh in relief. "How did you do that?" The doctor asks, dumbfounded.

"Why did you poison her?"

"I didn't-" He sighs.

"We'll be leaving now. I will take her." As I pick Evelyn up and walk out the door, I am watched by multiple awestricken eyes.

Xxxxxxxx

**Evelyn**

I wake in my room, staring at the white ceiling. Maybe all of that was a dream? No. Absolutely not. Whatever was injected into my bloodstream… I can remember that pain clear as day.

I sit up. Noting hurts too horrendously- my limbs are a bit sore, though. When I stand, I stretch slightly and walk out of my room. Desmond is sitting in a small black chair. When his eyes meet mine, he smiles warmly and signs, _"How are you?" _

"_Fine." _I sit down on the opposite side of him. _"What happened?" _

"_Do not worry about that right now. The others are in school and you have had too many bad experiences all at once. Now don't move. I have to get something from my room." _Desmond stands up and cautiously steps out the door. I mentally debate on if I should follow. It feels like it's been forever since I've seen the light of day. Ultimately, I decide to do what he asks.

That's when I see a figure standing in the corner of the room.

He is wearing all back, torn clothes, a dark blue eyeless mask cases his face, and there is a sticky black substance falling from the eye sockets. A small dagger is in his right hand, dripping with blood.

_Hmm. Maybe following Desmond is a good idea. _

I quickly stand up and bolt out the door. I can sense the man following me, and looking back at him only confirms my assumptions and scares me even more. I take the stairs all the way to the bottom floor. I continue running, but panting heavily. I turn back to look to my pursuer, but he is gone- a black mist taking his place. I straighten my neck, and my eyes are greeted by two shining headlights. Paralyzed in fear, I close my eyes. Someone pulls me away at the very last second possible, because the rearview mirror very gently, but quickly, swipes my face.

I open my eyes and see Desmond dragging me by the wrist into the hotel. My breath is shaky. He unlocks the door, pulls me inside, and makes me sit down. _"They're trying to kill you." _

I widen my eyes. _"Who?" _

"_There is no explanation. You told me the car wouldn't stop. They were controlling it. They switched your medicine at the hospital with poison. Now this." _

"_What do we do?" _

He stares into my blue eyes, _completely serious, _and replies, "_I'm giving you a use for your ears."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Evelyn**

"_Stop."_

"_I can do it, and I will do it."_

"_That's not funny to joke about."_

"_Don't you trust me?"_

Desmond sets his hands on his lap. I reply,_ "I do. But it is not possible."_

"_We'll see."_

He stands up and presses his palms to each side of my face. I push him away in panic. He signs, _"You're going to have to trust me."_

Slightly hesitant now, he does the same action, only more gentle this time. I stare into his calming eyes. When he closes them, I can't break my gaze from his face. He moves his hands again to say, _"Do not panic. I will be right here." _Desmond emphasizes those last two words with his body language. He continues with what he was previously doing.

That's when the noise comes.

It's a very faint ringing at first. Then it grows louder, and louder… until I can hear only a loud silence that I cannot bare.

Desmond opens his eyes and takes a small step back, trying to be as quiet as possible, but to no avail. I can hear everything… and it _hurts… _

My eyes start to tear up in pain and fear. I press the heels of my palms to my ears, trying to block it out. "Evelyn."

Desmond's voice is _mesmerizing. _My breathe practically freezes in my windpipe upon hearing my name from it. He says more, but I don't understand it..

I start to back away. He holds his hand out, and I bolt away from him. I can hear his footsteps. I can hear mine. I can hear the air rushing past my ears. I can hear _everything… _including Desmond calling my name in distress.

Running out the front door of the hotel, I almost collapse of a panic attack. A chorus of honking horns, talking people, and revving engines rings out. I whimper and, gathering my courage enough, running across the street and into my apartment building. I see Rose and Ashah walking into an elevator. I can hear them speaking… Rose says my name. I run as quickly as I can toward them, but the elevator door closes just as I reach it. With my eyes blurry from the tears, I run up the staircase. Everyone is inside as soon as I swing the door open.

All of them fall silent and look at me. I put my left hand to my mouth, silently encouraging them to continue with my right. They do, awkward at first. This is when I run into Ash's room. I gently pick up the black and white bass guitar and walk back down the hall quickly. I hand it to her. She, along with everyone else, is very confused. I point to it again. Hesitantly, she starts to play. I am overwhelmed with joy. I can _hear _it. The notes. The beautiful, deep sound. I collapse and bury my face in my hands. Rose, Ann, Raye, Luna, Ash, Terri, they all sit down around me and try to comfort me.

Though, in all reality, I couldn't calm down if someone shot morphine into my bloodstream. I can hear their words. It's different, and different scares me.

"Evelyn!" I hear my name called by the first voice I've ever heard. More tears squeeze out of my eyes. I believe It's Rose who starts to yell at him. I want to yell at him too, but there's something more I need to do first.

I stand up and face him. Meeting his eyes makes my heart implode in thanks. I lunge forward and wrap my arms around him, crying solemnly into his chest. He returns the hug, setting his right hand on the backside of my neck.

Unable to answer efficiently, I countlessly sign two words: _"Thank you." _

xxxxxxxx

**Ashah**

"Who are you?! What have you _done to her?!_"

Desmond sighs, sitting down on the couch with Evelyn, who is still sobbing. "I did nothing to hurt her. She is just overwhelmed. _Lower your voice._"

"Why do I need to fucking-"

He stares at me with complete seriousness. I take a step back- his orange eyes are staring into my soul. "Why do you wear contacts?" I ask randomly.

"They're _not _contacts."

It is quiet for a while. The others are standing next to me, but a little farther back than I. "Let me rephrase, then." I say, much quieter. "_What _are you."

He sighs, looking down at Evelyn, who has moved away from his slightly, and staring off into the distance. "...I will give you this- I'm not human-"

Desmond suddenly falls to the ground, clutching his stomach. Out of instinct, I kneel down as well. "What? What's going on?"

"_Dammit!_" He pushes me away. Taking a moment to breathe, he looks up at us, his black hair hiding every aspect of his face besides his eyes.

I don't know how Evelyn trusts him.

"W... why are you… what did you…"

"It might come as a bit of a shock." His shoulders move quickly up and down as he chuckles, shaking his head. He stands up, gesturing a shaking hand over to Eve. "It obviously did to her."

"What is it. Did you hurt her?"

"Well… it depends on what you mean by _hurt._"

Anger bubbles inside of me. "She was just in a _car accident, _you _bastard!_"

"One that _he _saved her from." Rose intervenes. "I told you that."

"Ashah." Desmond sets his hand on my shoulder. "Despite the fact that she cannot understand you, talking about her in third person is not the nicest."

"She can't even hear me!"

"Who says that?"

My breath gets caught in my windpipe. She wanted me to play my bass…

"That's not possible. Desmond. _Don't look at me like that!_" His small I-told-you-so grin makes me want to punch him. "She's deaf! _WHY-_"

"Have you not noticed she cringes every time you raise your voice?"

"Coincidence."  
"And every time we say her name, she looks over to us?" He turns in her direction. "Evelyn-"  
She has met his eyes before he can finish the three syllable word. I put my hand over my mouth. "You're fucking with us. Is it temporary, she only has three months to live now, there is no way she is just going to _hear _without some kind of catch."

"There is no catch." Desmond cringes again. "There is a catch for me, though, and a large one."

I cock my head to the side slightly. "What do you mean?"

He closes his eyes solemnly, letting his head fall. "I have to leave. Soon."

"You can't just _leave!_" Ann, the usually quiet and giggly blonde, starts to yell. "What about Eve? What about us?! You're walking into our lives just to walk out _unscathed?!_"

Raye drops her head and walks into her room. Desmond takes a step closer. "Listen to me- _agh!_" He shakes of his pain, despite he can hardly stand. "You know. You know the mythical Four Horsemen- from the Bible?"

I nod shakily, and they all do the same.

"They're… they are real. and I am one of them."

"Bull shit." Luna mutters, and Rose let out a small laugh.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He cries out in pain once more.

"Sit down." I say, and he does, next to Evelyn once more. She has a concerned expression on her face. Now that I think about it, even if she _can _hear us, she can't understand us- she's never _heard _English.

"The way you view them is much different, though. They're names are Death, War, Fury, and Strife- each one of them exist. They send…_ they send _one, one Horseman to Earth every century, so they can document Human life. So… so the ones in charge… know how advanced your technology is becoming…"

"Why do they-? Who-?"

"The Charred-" He hunches his back and falls to the floor, digging his nails into the carpet. "The Charred _Council! _They need to know so they have an idea of when the Apocalypse… is… _coming…!_"

Sweat is running down his face now as he tries to hold conscious. He falls, turns so he is lying on his back, and grips my forearm. "_Listen to me. _Go! Get out of here, and _run! _They're going… to try… and _kill you all.. _because I have told you… what you need to know.."

I am choking back tears. Evelyn is kneeled down beside me, crying hysterically as she runs her hands over his shoulders. "Who… who are you…" I choke out.

He meets my eyes, letting out a pent-up breath that says in a mere whisper, "Death."

Desmond- or Death, I guess- cries out in pain again, falling unconscious.

This here gives the the exact determination I need.

xxxxxxxx

(One week later)

"Ash."

"We'll be fine. I told the University that we're going on a trip, and that we will be gone for a while."

Evelyn uneasily helps me pack up kitchen supplies. I've been able to teach her a lot of spoken English. Whenever I say a word she doesn't understand, I'll sign it, and she'll do her best to remember. Either way, she needs time off school. She can't be learning an entire language and have the pressures of her assignment. It's too much.

Desmond… (I'll never get used to calling him Death, of all things) is in shitty shape. He can hardly stay conscious for twenty minutes- each time he does, he'll be struck with massive waves of pain. He's asleep on the couch right now, and I'll wake him when we're ready to leave. The torture, I think, will change as soon as we get out of New York. "I don't like this." Eve mutters. "I c-can't stand l-l-l…" She snaps her fingers, unable to remember the word. "L-l-loud noises."

"That will change over time. Plus, we won't make you leave the motorhome. Not unless you want to. There will be lots of room for you to move around, you'll have Desmond to keep you company, along with all of us, everything will be great."

"What if the car…" Eve makes a motion with her hands.

"Spins out of control?" She gives me a blank stare of confusion. I sign the word and she nods, telling me that what I said is what she was trying to get at. "That doesn't happen often, Evelyn. Trust me- and Terri is a really good driver. I bet Desmond is too."

She looks down at the last few peach-colored plastic cups, bowls, and silverware that she is setting into a cardboard box. "I don't want you to get hurt. Or any.. any of you."

"We won't. I assure you."

"Ash. Eve." I look to Luna casually, but Evelyn jumps and almost spills the contents onto the floor. She catches the box at the last moment, putting it back onto the counter and casually setting her elbow on it. Luna and I start laughing, and she smiles. "Come on. Help me and Rose get the rest of the boxes. Terri is parked out front."

I nod and pick up two closed boxes. Eve does the same with the box she just finished packing, and Rose quietly follows suit. The four of us load into the elevator, and as soon as it opens in the lobby, Terri is walking towards us as we step out.

"How long have we been saving up, exactly?"

I answer, confused, "Since the Eighth grade, why?"

"Well, we had a shit load of money. I bought a nice one, but it's around the corner in one of the only good parking spots I could find."  
"Do we still have enough to function? We still have to buy an internet router."

"I already did. We still have hundreds."

I laugh a little in relief. "Ann and Raye are with you, right?"

"Yeah, they're in the motorhome."

"Good."

As we walk, we form almost a completely symmetrical line within the five of us. This doesn't happen often- Evelyn likes to walk behind us. Desmond giving her hearing is like he gave her a life to live. She's happy, and not as closed-off from us. I look over to her. There is a smile on her face. Her fiery hair is pulled up in a lazy bun to keep it out of her face. She's wearing a white sweatshirt and black skinny jeans. She looks over to me and, in a playful manner, flips me off. I laugh and shove her a few feet as we all turn the corner.

The massive motorhome is a swirling mix of dark brown, cream, and white on the outside. There is a Porsche logo printed on the side facing us, located more towards the back. It must be twenty feet from the front to the back. A white awning is rolled up and stored at the top, ready to be taken down whenever. Multiple drawers are across the sides. My heart jumps in excitement. I walk a little faster and reach the door first. I knock, and Raye opens it.

"Welcome to the Chamber of Secrets!" She laughs, gesturing for us to walk in. Her light red hair, almost pink is pinned back as well, and she is wearing neon blue jeans and a bright yellow shirt. Ann, who is wearing red and white, is giggling behind her. I laugh and push her out of the way, walking inside and immediately being enveloped by the smell of a new car.

All the furniture is made out of cream white leather. There is a small love seat across from me. One recliner is to my left, along with the driver and passenger's seats. The carpet is dark brown. To my right, there is a mini fridge and a small white table- all connected to the floor. I set the boxes down on the floor and look around some more.

In the back, there are two wood bunk beds, and in the very corner, a small bathroom with a marble countertop, a small three-pane mirror, a toilet in the back corner, and a small shower next to it.

After inspecting everything, I find everyone besides Desmond in the room, struggling slightly to get around and put the dishes in cabinets and food in the fridge and pantries.

"Anyone want to come with me to get Desmond?"

Evelyn immediately looks up, and I laugh. "I'll go." She mutters, giving me a smug look, and putting the last of her bag of clothes in a drawer. As soon as she does, she stands up and follows me out the door. We talk quietly on the way there, nothing of major significance, though. Brendon, the secretary of our apartment, smiles at us and waves. "Hey, Ashah,"

"Hi."

"Going on a trip?"

"Yeah."

He grins. "Where you headed?"

I look to Evelyn, and she shrugs. "I guess that's the one thing we didn't think through. We're going wherever Terri is driving, I guess."

"I see." Brendon smiles. "Have fun, you guys."

"Thanks."

Quickly out of social awkwardness, we walk into the elevator. As soon as I open the door, Evelyn is at Desmond's side. She tries to shake him awake. After ten minutes or so, I get impatient, fill a mop bucket up so the bottom has about a centimeter of water, and then dump it on his head. He drowsily opens his eyes.

"Dammit!" I mutter, setting the bucket down. "I was hoping to get a good reaction."

Desmond wipes the water out of his eyes, sitting up. "You'll be hoping for a long time, then."

"Right. So you know how you said you have to leave, and that we should leave?Yeah. We're all leaving together."

"What? You can't. I mean, yes…" He stumbles over his words. "Now that I think about it…"

"That 'Council' you were babbling about can't hurt us if we're around you."

"...Alright…" He says, nodding his head. "Transportation?"

"Taken care of."

Still out of it slightly, he stands up. Determined not to collapse, he holds his breath and takes slow steps out the door. When Evelyn or I try and help him, he tells us he can cope and pushes us away. We tell him where to go, and after a good twenty minutes of him struggling to walk, we reach the motorhome.

"Damn!" Terri laughs. "That's a new record, I think. You were gone for forty-five minutes! I thought you were going to get Desmond, not going shopping."

"We were." Eve says quietly. "He's still hurting."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

"We've got everything put away. Are you guys ready?" Ann asks.

"Let Eve set up the television and internet and all that crap before we go." Everyone nods. "Desmond, sit down. You look horrible."

"Well, for Death, that means I'm in pretty good shape, now doesn't it?" He cringes in pain and lets out a sigh.

"I think that everytime you talk about yourself, like _yourself _ yourself, then you get hurt."

"A clear assumption." Desmond mutters.

"Rest, asshole." Eve smiles, punching him in the shoulder.

As she walks away, he gives her a look that I cannot describe, but it is for sure a positive one.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hellow :3 Sorry about a long update. I've been very much wrapped up in Salvation. And between you and me… this chapter for this story is my favorite XD I know it's a little short. But I couldn't wait to show you guys.  
Andyway. I'll see you guys later. **

**Evelyn **

As soon as I have hooked up the internet router, Ashah logs onto her laptop to make sure it's working. Giving me the okay, I hook the Xbox up to the small television to the side of the room. Desmond, I am starting to feel anxious about. Ash told me that he was rambling on about being a Horseman of the Apocalypse. Honestly, if he told me anything now, I'd believe him. he gave me my ears, and I am forever in his debt.

I hear a whoosh sound as the Xbox comes on. _So that's what it sounds like, _I think, shrugging it off. Terri laughs from the front seat. After asking us all if we're ready to go, she starts to drive. followed by many waves of anxiety from me. We get stuck in traffic for a while, thank god. The only downside to that is Desmond's pain. He tells me it's not as bad as it was when it began last week, but he's still hurting, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

Sighing, I sit down next to his unconscious form. Whenever we move even the slightest bit in the traffic, I cringe. Ashah tells me from behind her computer that we're safe and to calm down. I try to - not for my own comfort, but so they don't worry about me.

The traffic starts to lighten up. I look out the window behind the couch Desmond and I are sitting on. The weather is dull and snowy- just how I like it best. A truck next to the motorhome accelerates, revealing the fact that we are crossing a bridge. I stare into the icy waters with a horrified look. Fear washes through me, but I don't make a sound. Instead, I check to see if Desmond is awake. When I see he is not, I very gently grab onto his hand to reassure myself. A few minutes after, just as we get off the bridge, my fingers are lightly squeezed. I look down at Desmond to see that he is awake. His eyes are barely open. He winks once, and as soon as he does, his body jerks forward. I cringe, knowing that he's in pain.  
He takes a few deep, calming breaths. "I'm fine, Evelyn." Desmond says, giving me a small smile.

Anger starts to rise in my gut. This poor man has been shackled down for how long, with no break. This Council Ashah told me about won't allow him to live. To love. I want to know who he is, or who he once was. I can tell he wants me to know, too. So, letting my anger settle in the back of my mind for a while, I sink back next to Desmond. He wraps an arm around me for a sense of comfort- whether it be for me, or him or, both. I set my head on the front of his shoulder. I can almost feel his pain in my chest too, but I don't move. I can sit here with one of my now closest friends and not have this damn Council interfere with it.

x-

"Desmond?" I ask quietly. We have hardly moved. Raye is up driving, and Ann is keeping her awake. Everyone else is asleep. The time has gone so quickly- it's already eleven at night.

"Hmm." He answers nonchalantly, looking up at me.

"...What's your… your n-n-name? Your real name?"

A tremor shoots through his body, but he replies with one word I don't understand. As if knowing I wouldn't, he signs, _"Death." _

He says it aloud. "Death." I try and memorize the sound of the word- and in his voice, too.

"Death." I repeat. He nods, and smiles. "…why?"

He chuckles, and his hands start shaking. "That is the name I chose for myself."

"...what are you?"

He switches to signing. _"A Horseman of the Apocalypse. Though my race is Nephilim." _Half of the words are spelled out, and I hardly comprehend them in time, for he is moving quickly.

"_Why are you here?" _

Each question sends another jolt of pain through him, but he still answers. _"They want me to study human life."_

I choke back slight tears. With a shaking breath, I ask, _"Why are they torturing you?" _

He gives me a sorrow filled smile. _"They can read my thoughts. They know I love you." _My head explodes in panic, but then he calms me down, _"Not in the way you're thinking." _

I laugh a little, saying aloud, "Oh."

"You should sleep, Evelyn."

I shake my head. "No."

"I will be fine."

"I know."

It is silent for a moment as I look at him. Only now do I start to feel a bit self conscious. I'm sitting with my legs tucked up against his and leaning back against his chest. The small lights underneath the cabinets to my left are dimmed, and the moon is shining through the windshield on my right, casting one half of the room in a candlelight color and the other in a gentle blue.

Death signs, _"I will make you a deal. If you sleep, then I will sleep." _I nod. Going to stand up, he pulls me right back. "You're staying here."

"...alright." I know he doesn't mean this in any other way than us being good friends. I know it.

I stay stiff for a while. Death sits back, sighing and resting his head against the back of the couch. I try closing my eyes for a while. Being next to him, in a way, keeps me calm. I find that I don't want to move. The vehicle speeds up, and the sound of the engine calms me. I sink back so I am comfortable, and slowly fall into a deep sleep.

x-

"_**You've distracted the Horseman from his duty, child. What do you have to say for yourself?" **_

_The room around me is made completely of a deep red rock. Smoke, ash, dust, and multiple other impurities are scattered through the air, which already most likely has a low oxygen level. The temperature must be in the least one hundred degrees. Magma is everywhere around me, and three faces carved into the jagged stone seem to stare straight into me. Fire is spitting out of their mouths each time they speak. _

"_**Answer, child!"  
**__"I did not distract him from his duty. He distracted me from my hellish lifestyle and gave me a better one." I sign, completely silent._

"_**Death has ignored our call. He will be punished."**_

_"How long has he been serving you?" I ask._

_**"That is not of your concern."**_

_"Tell me."_

_The heads are silent for a long moment. Finally, they reply,__** "Many eons."**_

_Hate burning in my eyes, I speak loudly, "Leave him be."_

_**"His fate is ours to decide!"**_

"He is just like any other being._"__** I switch to signing. **__"He lives. He loves. His mind is not yours."_

_**"...Very well, human." **__The head to the left growls as the center one speaks.__** "Because you care for the Horseman to such an extent, we will leave him alone. But you will not tread as lightly."**_

_Suddenly a very sharp pain rushes through my bloodstream. I gasp, but as the amount of pain grows, I black out._

_x-_

I wake up screaming before I even feel the pain. Desmond immediately jumps up and wraps his arms around me. "Evelyn? Eve! What's the matter?!"

I hear choruses of my name from everyone that I just woke up. "It _hurts!_" Tears squeeze themselves out of my eyes.

"What hurts?!"  
"_Everything!" _I clutch my chest and kneel down, letting out another soul-ripping scream. It feels as if something has a tight grip on my internal organs, and is slowly choking me.

"Evelyn, I can help if you tell me what is wrong." Death says quietly.

Ignoring the other's, I sign shakily to him what I am feeling, only being able to do so while holding my breath. When I am done, I don't continue breathing. A few moments pass when Death realizes. "Evelyn. _Breathe." _

"What's going on?" Ashah asks from a few feet away.

"They've stopped my pain and put it on her. It's the same, and she doesn't know how to handle it as well."

"As well?! How the HELL did you handle it better?"

"I've been dealing with it for _eons!_"

"_SHUT UP!_" I scream before even knowing what I am thinking.

Now hyperventilating, Death picks me up and sets me on the couch. "I need you to tell me if anything out of the ordinary has occurred lately." I scream in pain again. "I know it hurts, but I might be able to help."

Unable to form a proper reply, I drop hints of what I saw in my dream. "T...t-three!"

"Three? Okay… what does three-"

"F-f-fire!"

"Fire…"

"A….a...and…" The pain is starting to pull me under. "Rocks…"

Death's breath hitches. He says slowly, "Three heads. Made of rock. Encased in fire. Right?"

I nod. The pain get's indescribably worse-it's as if magma has replaced the blood in my body. I grip tightly onto Death's wrist. "I…I'm…. I'm scared…"

"I know, Eve." He smiles, setting his free hand on my cheek. He turns to the others, "Go back to sleep, or whatever you were doing. I'll do my best to keep her comfortable. Evelyn, I'm going to relieve you of the pain-"

"No!" I whisper frantically.

"No?"

"T-the pain… will be put back on you…"

"It's alright. I've been dealing with it for so much longer than you have…"

"I don't care…"

"Evelyn. They _won't _kill me! You mean nothing to them. They can kill you in an instant. You're human."

"Y…. your human… too… for a while…"

He sighs. "Eve…"

"I… I won't let the pain… return… to you… I love you too… Dea-"

And everything goes black.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So this happened. **

**Death **

Evelyn is sleeping peacefully on the couch. I sit next to her with my forehead on her temple and my lips against her right ear. I think that she should hear my voice, conscious or not. I feel something about her, tugging at my heart. I love her, I do. But.. I'm starting to think that I do in a different way now. Of course, the Council must know and will kill her as soon as possible.

I reluctantly stand up, wondering if I had said something aloud about what I'm feeling. Everyone is acting as if I weren't saying anything out of the ordinary, so I presume not.

"Raye?" Ashah asks without looking up from her computer.

"Hmm." She mutters in acknowledgement, exhaustion portraying in her voice. She's been up for most of the night driving.

"Why don't we stop for a while? We could get something to eat. You can get some sleep, and I'll drive for a while."

"Hmmk." She jerks the wheel over to the right so she can drive through the next exit. Evelyn's head bounces against the back of the seat, waking her up. I sit down next to her when she grabs her head, letting her rest her head on my thighs. She doesn't look to be in much pain, if any at all. "How do you feel?" I ask.

She gives me a small smile, in which sends a chill down my spine. "Fine." She answers quietly. The vehicle stops. "Bored."

I chuckle slightly, setting my hand on the side of her ice pale face, though as a reaction to my touch, it turns a bright crimson red. "Desmond?" Ashah asks. I don't respond, and neither does Evelyn. Her blue eyes are swimming with confusion, happiness, and loving emotions. "Des. Evelyn."

Still nothing.

"Death!"

Sighing, I reluctantly look over to her. "Hmm?"

"We're going to get something for breakfast. If Evelyn doesn't feel up to it-"

"I'll stay with her, if she does not want to go." I say with a bit too much hope.

Ash laughs. "Calm your face. Evelyn?"

She sighs, "I'm not feeling the best. I'll stay back." and gives me a look that says we'll talk soon. I ball my fist and nod.

Rose and Terri walk into the room, their makeup freshly done and wearing mostly black and vivid neon. Ash silently walk to the back, most likely to get dressed. This goes on for a while until they're all ready.

"We'll bring you something. Depends on what they have." Rose says. A chorus of "Bye" rings out, and they exit the door with a click that seems to echo on for hours.

xxxxxxxx

**Evelyn **

Death lets out a pent up breath as soon as the door shuts. I close my eyes and relax slightly, glad for the hype of everyone getting ready being over. He gently brushes the hair away from my face, causing me to panic. I had once told him a while ago, I saw him in the light of an older brother… but I've been so close to him, _so _comfortable with him that I just… _don't. _I'd bet all my money that he doesn't feel the same, and I'll feel like shit every time I even breathe the same air as him.

"How do you feel?" Death asks.

A surge of pain hits me. Every second feels like flames building higher within my body. Despite the undying urge to scream, to _move, _I do nothing of the sort. I bite my tongue and mutter, "I feel great."

"I see. If you were telling the truth, I'd tell you that is great."

I let out a breath in his face. "I know, I know… It hurts, though… and I don't want you to worry..."

"I will worry whether you tell me or not, Evelyn. Don't feel like you cannot, because no matter what, I'll know about it-"

He collapses with a rageful scream.

"Dea- _fuck!_"

My vision blackens. There's a tingling sensation within my face, my throat closes. I try and gasp, but to no avail. When I rip my eyelids apart, I see an angered Death standing in front of me.

This is when I realize his hands are around my neck.

"D...Death… L-let me go!" I choke out, wrapping my fingers around his.

"You will die in the arms of the one you love, human…" A dark raspy voice escapes his lips, but it's not _his… _

It is the voice of the Council.

A tear squeezes out of my eye as I tuck my legs to my stomach, swinging backward and using the momentum to kick him as hard as I can in the gut. He staggers back, but does not let me go. I kick him again, but in a slightly lower and more painful spot. He falls forward, pinning me underneath him. My head cracks back against the floor, blackening my vision even more. Though some force within me refuses to let me fall unconscious.

Death gasps. The vibrant orange returns to his eyes as normal, along with a strong wave of sorrow emitting from them. "Evelyn…"

"I'm… I'm okay…"

He sets his forehead on mine. Too tired to care or dwell over his actions, I continue sucking in breaths to restore the oxygen in my body. I close my eyes. Minutes later, when I am breathing somewhat normally, Death says shakily, "The Council."

"I know it was the Council. I know." I wrap my arms around his neck in a more-than-friendly embrace without realizing, along with continuously repeating the two words, "I know."

"Evelyn…"

Our lips _lightly _touch, and we both flinch away. I start stuttering, "S-s-s-sorry…"

"I can't… I can't- I have to go… I have to leave…"

"No…"

"I can't hurt you any further."

I open my eyes and stare straight into his angrily, "You'll hurt me more if you leave."

"It won't kill you,"

"No. You don't _understand…_" I set my forehead on his. "It _will _kill me."

He sighs in frustration. "Evelyn-"

"Death."

It is quiet- no, more like completely silent- for a long while. I breath in perfect sync with him. My heart beats alongside his. Everything falls calm.

Suddenly he leans forward and boldly sets his lips on mine. I take a deep breath in fear with my eyes closed. My head is screaming that it's wrong, but I can't _not…_

Before I can even think to return it, he breaks the kiss, stands up, and walks out the door without another word.

Xxxxxxxx

"Where is he? _Evelyn!_" Ash screams basically in my ear. I don't, and won't, respond. Death is gone. He's _actually _gone… and I stirred him to leave…

"Eve, you can tell us." Luna approaches the matter with a much gentler manner. She sits down next to me when I won't look anywhere else besides out the window.

"Gone." I say simply.

"Gone?"

"Gone. Now drive."

"Where is he? Is he okay? Are _you _okay?" Raye asks me quietly.

"I don't know. I don't know. I don't know."

"I'll get on the road." Terri says.

Luna does her best to comfort me. I say nothing, or as little as I can. My mind is so numb. I can't believe what happened actually _happened… _he's gone. Where is he going? Is he upset with me, or is he just trying to protect me? Will I ever see him again…?

I bite my lower lip to hold back my tears as I stare at the side of the deserted highway.

We left him behind… I have no idea where he is… and possibly never will…


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yeah… I'm sorry. I can't think with this story… I'm kinda' ending it early… XD IM SO SORRY. This isn't the last chapter. Epilouge is next.  
Again, so sorry.  
I'm about to update Salvation, if I can get it typed in a half hour.  
It's all in a foreign language in my journal. So HOPEFULLY!  
Andyway. I'm rambling.  
READ ON! **

**Evelyn **

Hours go by. All I can think about is the pain Death could be in right _now. _Where he is. Why he kissed me, and at that _why _it felt so passionate. Why. The most frequent word I've ever used.

Days go by.The others try to get me to eat or drink, but I'm so lost in my thoughts, I don't have time to. Within a week, I'm dry-heaving from lack of food, and can't consume anything. We have to stop our travels and go the hospital. They put an IV in my vein, but even then I refuse to eat anything beside what they're forcing me to.

"We just lost a close friend, and she's been taking it to heart, that's all," Ashah will tell the doctors frequently. But that's _not _all, and Death _wasn't _just a close friend. He was more than that. What he was, that was more than that, is what I'm not sure of.

Eventually I do decide to continue eating. A few days later, they let me out of the hospital. Because of my decisions, though, all the people left I love won't talk to me. They're mad because the money we had left is now almost gone, due to having to pay the hospital bills.

I sit in the back corner of my bunk with my legs tucked up. I'm still wearing the hospital gown, and grey Converse are laced over my socks.

And still, I stare out the window.

Occasionally from the drugs they had given me, I'll have a short vision within the corner of my eye of the Horseman of the Apocalypse. I've tried talking about that to the others, but again, a cold shoulder is what I receive. It burns my heart, so I stay in my bunk and only come out to get something to eat.

Laughter and happiness emits from the other room. It's a beautiful sound that I haven't heard in a long while. A pang of hurt surges through me, knowing I'm not apart of it. I shakily sit up and bury my face in my hands.

There are so many people around me, that I feel don't need me anymore…

I jump up and silently walk into the living room of the motorhome. Everyone is facing the screen, playing some indie horror game I've never paid much attention to. No one is driving at the moment. I move slowly to keep them from noticing that I'm taking the money box. I flip the latch and pull out two hundred dollars, then put it back in it's place. None of them look back.

I run back to my bunk and change into all black clothing. A dark black long sleeved shirt, a leather jacket in which is four sizes too small, but still fits, black skinny jeans, and grey zipper Converse. Choking back tears, I start opening the window, unable to stand the judging faces a moment longer. Of course, I will regret this as soon as I know it's happening, but it's the only thing I can think of dong.

The window opens just enough for me to slide my form through. I do so, not even bothering to close it once outside.

My feet crunch against the pebbles underneath me. I start to jog away from the motor home. The thought of abandoning the ones I love brings a pang of guilt like a brick to my face, so I start to sprint, tucking the money into the right pocket of my jeans. I have to get away from here. The mental pain of _knowing _that they're all behind me, in that little motorhome that holds my last memories of Death, is sitting there.

I want to find him.

Of course, I wouldn't ever find him. I wouldn't even know where to start. Though the fact that I love him to pieces throws off my brief glimmer of an idea of common sense, and I start backtracking on the road that we were traveling on. I have a slight idea of where we've been, for I was looking out the window for days without sleeping, but I still am not one-hundred percent sure.

The hot sun blares against my back. _Of course, my idiocy caused me to wear all black, _I think to myself, shaking my head. After an hour, I stumble across a dry, open one-way highway, with no one to be seen for miles. "It's going to be worth it," I repeat aloud to reassure myself. "It'll be worth it."

xxxxxxxx

When night falls, the temperature drops to, at the most, fifty or sixty degrees. This is bearable, of course, but the only "Outside life" I've ever endured is _Minecraft_. So, in the simplest terms, I know nothing of what I will do. There are no sources of water or food, no fire, just money in an open and lifeless terrain.

But It'll be worth it.

I drag myself off the side of the road for the night and sit down in a pile of sand. "What am I going to do?" I ask aloud, then start to laugh uncontrollably. "I should've thought this through before I took action."

Suddenly I hear a car. It is faint, but the engines are unmistakable. I jump to my feet, listening to my stomach growl. The headlights are coming my direction, and from the opposite way I was coming from, so there's no way that it is the motorhome. I quickly search my mind for a lie to tell the random pedestrians.

The car is a small grey equinox. I see a couple talking in the front seat as they look at the road. Walking back up to the side of the road, I wave my hands to try and get their attention. The woman makes eye contact with me first, and then nudges the man that's driving in the shoulder. I take a deep breath in relief when they slow down and start to pull over. The woman rolls down her window upon reaching me. She has vibrant green streaks running down her black hair. The man with a black mohawk in which is combed to the side, piercings on his nose and both sides of his lips and tatoos running down his arms, speaks.

"Hey, need some help?" his low, raspy voice reminds me of Death, and makes a pang of guilt slap me in the face.

"Uhh… no, I was taking a hike and I got lost. It's been a few days since I've had water, Do you have any?"

"Uhhh… yes, we have some. Daire, could you grab a few of the water bottle s in the back?"

"Yeah, hang on."

She unbuckles her seatbelt and shuffles around for a while. "Where are you headed?"

"I… I don't know. At the moment, I don't have a home either. Not until I get to New York."

"New York?! That's thousands of miles from here!"  
"Well… even then, I probably won't have a home. I guess I'm hoping for the b-best."

The man smiles as the girl, Daire, hands me four water bottles. "I wish the best of luck to you."

"Thanks for the help."

"Not a problem."

The car starts, and they drive away. I watch for a long while as they go. That guy looked _so _familiar…

I brush it off and sit back down on the sand, setting three of the bottles next to me and opening the fourth. Half the bottle is gone when I am satisfied. I sigh and twist the bottle cap back on, relaxing as much as I can on the cold ground.

Eventually, lack of sleep gets the best of me. I curl up on the ground and fall into a light sleep.

Xxxxxxxx

"Evelyn… wake up, my love."

I sleepily crack my eyes open. I expect a darge, more desert-like terrain, but that is not what I see. Instead, a dimly lit room stands before me. As opposed to a sandy hard floor to sleep on, warm cushions support my back and head, along with a warm blanket covering my form. Sighing contently, I pull myself into a tight ball and rest my eyes once more.

"It's time to wake up."

"Who…" I groan, my mind too exhausted to register the identity of the voice.

"Your worst nightmare."

It's Death!

I jump up and look him straight in the beautiful orange eyes, but then my breath gets caught in my throat. It's not _my _Death… he looks a foot taller than what he was as a human. His skin is much more of a sickly pale, and so tight against his bones it looks as if he hasn't eaten anything in his entire life. As I look him over, he gently grabs my chin and forces me to look to his face. It is hidden by a large piece of ivory, resembling that of a skull without a mouth. The only visible points of his face I can see are the edges of his square jaw and his eyes.

"D…"

"It's me, Evelyn. You are not mistaken."

_At least his voice is the same,_ I think. As Death gently strokes my arm, I shakily say, "Where…?"

"Do not question, for we do not have a lot of time."

"We don't? Why… why don't we…"

"Just listen." He brings his hand to the side of my face, only to shyly bring it back and letting it rest on my upper arm. "I have finished my mission. I am not on Earth anymore, and your soul is not either. Not at the moment. I captured it so I could tell you what I couldn't say that day."

"Why did you just…"

"Walk out on you all? Yes. I knew that every moment I stayed another moment you would be in danger. So I did what I had been waiting to do, and I left. I didn't want to hurt you… though I ended up doing so even more."

I nod in agreement. "You kind of did."

He chuckles slightly, looking down at my fiddling hands. "I am sorry… and you must forget about me."

"What? Why?"

"You will never see me again. Not after now."

"C...can't you just, 'summon my soul' all the time? So we can talk?"

He shakes his head, "Doing so damages it. After the third or fourth time, you'd die. I won't take your life for me."

"T...the others left me. Er, I left them."

"What? Why?"

"T...they were just so mad, because I was in the hospital, and I just lost it… so I ran off…"

He pulls me to his chest in a tight embrace. "Where are you now."

"I… I don't know…" I pull away from the hug and look him in the eyes. "D… do… do you look the same…? Under that mask?"

He waits a long moment before slowly shaking his head.

"What do you look like…?"

"I look… different."

"...can I see?"

Death gives a heart warming smile as he grabs my hands. "I do not remove my mask. It symbolizes a barrier between who I am and who I used to be." I nod. "It's time for you to go."

"No,"

"Evelyn, just lie down. I will not leave your side."

I do as he says, though reluctant, and rest my head on the pillow. He strokes my hair gently, wrapping the vibrant orange locks around his fingers. I don't stop looking into his eyes. "When you wake up, I want you to go back to them. Or don't. I want you to be happy… whether that means returning to them or not- and listen _carefully _to this," He leans down and sets the ice cold forehead of his mask against mine, "Do_ not _wait for me."

The comfort of the bed we're sitting on starts to get to me, and I begin drifting off. "Why…"

"I _can't _come back for you, my love… regardless, know this: I have _never _looked at _any _creature, throughout however many eons I've lived, the way I look at you. I'll remember you."

"You remember everything."

"That may be true but only a handful occur to me daily, and less than that occur to me as much as you will."

"Mmm." I sigh contently, setting my hand over his and pulling it to my chest. Desmond, Death, _whoever _he is, murmurs soft words with such a dark and mysterious voice into my ear as I slowly fall asleep.

And I drift off, back into my own universe.

And I end up doing the exact opposite of what he had told me to. I waste the rest of my life, waiting for a man who would never come.


	10. Epilogue

"Oh, you poor thing. Come on inside, it's freezing out here."

A woman in her mid thirties or forties with bleach blonde hair, coming in black at the roots, shoos me into a homeless shelter in the middle of the vastly populated city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. I haven't eaten in days. I feel like I'm going to collapse at any moment. All because I ran away from my home, in the middle of January, away from my mentally abusive parents at the age of thirteen, going on fourteen. I now stand in the middle of Chattanooga Homeless Shelter. The room is made up of mostly couples in their twenties, huddling together on couches, sharing blankets and eating bowls of soup. Everyone has a television in front of them, one of the old, _old_ 52' flat screen kinds.

The woman sits down next to me on a black leather couch. "Are you alright, sweetie? Where have you come from?"

"H...Hixson," I choke out. She hands me a glass of water.

As I drink, she runs a comforting hand down my arm. "Hixson? That's miles from here!"

"I… I had to get away… so I came here…"

"It's alright. We'll gladly take you. Wait here, dear, I'll get you some food. You must be starving."

The woman walks off. My vision blurs with tears that I refuse to let fall, but in the midst of my upset state, I look over to an old lady sitting in the corner of the room. She is wearing a white long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants. Her hair is ice white and paper thin. In her hands is a controller for one of the first versions of an Xbox. I chuckle slightly, wondering how ancient both of them are. She's playing an early version of _Assassin's Creed. _

I look around and see no one is paying attention to me. Hesitantly, I move from my spot on the couch into a chair two empty seats away from the old woman's. She looks over to me, her eyes piercing mine with a mesmerizing cobalt blue, and then returns her attention to the screen.

"Hey."

"Hello." Her voice is deeper than what I had expected it to be.

"What's your name?"

She makes eye contact again, "Evelyn. And you?"

"M-" I cut myself off. Until I know I can trust each and every person here, I won't tell them my real name. The first thing that pops into my head is Ashley, but it comes out as, "-Ash-uh…."

"Ashah." The old woman laughs. "It's a beautiful name."

"Th… thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So- ehm… how long have you been here?"

"Sixty years." The woman who walked me in comes and sits between us. She hands me a bowl of soup. "That's what I was told. Is that right, Evelyn?"

"Yes. It is… those years flew by so quickly."

"How did you get here?" I ask quietly.

Evelyn pauses her game, sets the controller in her lap, and looks over to us as I start to eat. "It's a long story."

"We've got time. Er, I have time, anyway." I smile reassuringly, hoping she'll tell her story. It would give me something to put my mind on besides home, and the life I just recently ran away from.

I think she can see my emotions, so she does start to speak. "As you may have guessed… it started with a man."

The blonde and I chuckle slightly. Evelyn continues on for hours, explaining what had happened. How, in the beginning, she was deaf, and when she met him he brought back her hearing. By the end, the story seems almost fictional, and I'm in tears.

"T… that didn't actually happen… did it?" I ask shakily.

She smiles, reaching over and setting her hand on mine. "It all depends on how you view it."

"B…but, Des- er, Death… you never saw him again?"

"No. Never. I'm hoping… one of these days… I'll see him again…"

"You have to."

"Get some sleep, dear. You need it."

I nod, pulling a blanket off the couch next to me and wrapping it around my form on the chair, watching absently as she plays her game. The sun is gleaming through the window, indicating sunset. I stare at the beams against the floor, thinking about this "Desmond" character. Evelyn said that his eyes were this shade of unmistakable orange…

xxxxxxxx

"I'm coming, asshole… I'm coming for you."

A taunting laughter of an old woman rings out, waking me from my deep sleep. I jump up to look at Evelyn, sitting on the floor with her fists against her chest. I kneel down in front of her. Peeling the old fingers away, I see a kitchen knife rammed through her chest.

"W-what did you do?!" I whisper frantically, pulling it out in a state of panic. Blood runs down my fingers as she collapses.

"Don't worry, love. I'm getting out of this god damn place… for good." Evelyn sets a hand on my cheek. "Thank you… you've made me realize how much… I need to see him…"

"Oh my god!" The blonde woman from earlier runs to Evelyn's side. "Are you alright?! Ashah, what did you do?!"

"S-She-"

"I did it, Cori. It was me."

"Why… why did you…"

"Because-"

A flash of white envelopes me. I jump back, cracking my head against the concrete floor. When my vision clears, I see a faint image hovering above Evelyn's aged body. There are two people standing there. One is a woman with thick vibrant orange hair, tucked back in a lazy bun. She looks to be in her mid twenties, wearing all black. The man is at the least a foot taller than her. Black hair casts a ivory mask, resembling a skull without any jaw, in gently shadows. He is wearing no shirt, exposing a dead pale skin complexion that is clinging so tightly to his bones, it threatens to tear. Scythes are pinned to the belt loops on each side of his leather pants.

And, of course, the signature sunset eyes.

Despite his intimidating appearance, he wraps his muscular thin arms around the woman in a tight, loving embrace. Tears roll down her cheeks, and it makes me realize.

The woman is Evelyn.

and that is Death…

He picks her up, carrying her out of sight. The vision fades, and Evelyn's lifeless body collapses in a heap of old skin against the floor.

The girl who lead me in this afternoon, Cori, collapses next to her and buries her face in the body's stomach, crying uncontrollably. I do so silently, setting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I...I've known her for so long… six years… we've been so close…"

"S-she's where she wants to be. She's with De-... him…"

Cori spins to look at me. "I… I have heard that story from her countless times- I always took it as some kooky old lady telling a bedtime story… but I didn't…"

I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling an odd comfort within the warm tears spilling down my cheeks. "It's real. It'll always be real… and that story is always going to keep a great moral… despite how terrible life can be to you… I'm always going know... we're not alone…"

**A/N: What a cheesy, cinematic ending. :D Done with this one. Almost done with Salvation. X3 I apologize. I might not be writing more Darksiders Fanfictions. But, I'm writing a Fiction Press now that I'll post soon about Zada (Myself) which is more corresponding with my life. If you want to read that, I'll paste the link in one of the next Salvation updates. It depends on when I update.  
I apologize. XD**


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